Breathtaking Cape Peninsula: Penguins & Cape of Good Hope

We did 2 tours with Ryan at Reveler Tours while on a 5 day family vacation in Cape Town. They were a big hit with my whole family and were money well spent. The tours were not inexpensive and I recognized we were paying a little extra. With that, I was promised by the company that they provided access to them even on the days we weren't on tour. They lived up to this and then some, and were like ChatGPT for Cape Town, providing fast responses to every question I could throw at them ("I just got off the hop on hop off bus in Hout Bay- we need to grab lunch. Where do you recommend?" - answer within 3 minutes. "we have some spare time this am, which boat cruise to you recommmend?" - answer within 5 minutes with a link and offer to book). They booked us reservations at hard-to-get restaurants and in general, provided an elevated service level which started months before arrival during planning and lasted until we left. We did the Cape Peninsula tour (penguins, cape of good hope, lighthouse, chapmans peak) and Stellenbosch (food, walking tour, winery). Both were great and while I suspect we saw much of the same stuff that any tour would provide, we did so in a manner that felt well-thought-out. I regularly saw large groups rolling in the places we were leaving and felt tickled that we were zigging when the crowds were zagging (we were the only people on Simons beach to see the penguins and got some photos of a lifetime!) Ryan felt more like a friend or family member than a hired guide. We enjoyed our time talking to him and driving around, and we was an expert on delivering all the tourguide info. He made it very clear he was here for us and I never felt he was rushing us or watching the time. As one good example, my daughter woke up not feeling well on the second day, and we left her (safely!) in the hotel room while we set off on our day. When she was feeling better, we swung by the hotel in the afternoon to pick her up - she wanted to see Bo Kaap. This was clearly inconvenient and set Ryan back- he originally said we were going to be done by 3 and it was closer to 5, but he didn't mind in the least. I'm sure all the guides are great at the company, but be excited if you get Ryan! I'm usually a do-it-yourselfer (hence my love of tripadvisor) but it was a great decision to instead leave it to Reveler to plan our once-in-a-lifetime splurge vacation. VERY satisfied customer.

We had one free day in Cape Town and this was a great way to see the area. Seeing the endangered African Penguins in the wild was a bucket list item for me, and it did not disappoint. We had Dee and she was fabulous. Really friendly and knowledgeable. She clearly enjoys her job, and loves being out in nature. In addition to the penguins, the other stops were amazing and the scenery is really spectacular. Communication with Reveler in advance was very convenient and easy. I would book with them again.

It was amazing tour today, Ryan is incredible. I travel many country with different tour guide, his knowledge, patient, passion and professional, I want to give him six stars for the service, Good job Ryan, I will come back with my friends to see you Thanks again!

This was our second tour with Revelers - we did the winery tour the day before and based on that, knew this tour would also be great! We had Dee for both tours and it really felt like a friend showing us around. Each stop was great and I feel like we got to see so much in just one day. We were so impressed and are recommend Revelers to everyone!!

I've done two tours with Reveler -- Peguins/Cape of Good Hope & Garden Route Road trip. Both Blaine and Ryan are fantastic guides and both tours ran super smoothly! I couldn't have asked for a better time on both tours. I truly enjoyed my time and would definitely recommend booking with Reveler Tours!

We enjoyed a great day touring the peninsula with Ryan. He was fun and knowledgeable. We particularly enjoyed a visit to the scone shack, hanging out with the penguins at Boulders Beach, and riding the funicular to the lighthouse. I wish we could have stayed longer and gone on an additional tour. I highly recommend Reveler!

We had three wonderful days in Capetown as a family of 5 with kids aged from 13 to 18. They organized our 10 days tour in South Africa from A to Z. "Reveler" like to call them as Travel Companion and I swear it is very true ! Blaine showed us everything in the area and was always eager to please us, he knows all the best spots outside the beaten tracks and good things to test. Those 3 days were much more than a guide with tourists, it was about meeting people and exchanging on personal experience, sports, food, politics, music etc ... Blaine had a very good contact with our kids who were also delighted with this experience. Do not hesitate to have a tour with Reveler : they are great !

So we (me and my gf) did the Peninsula Tour with Blain - one of the guides. The tour itself was amazing; we saw the Penguins, we experienced the nice scenery all the time and got what we booked for. However, I guess the best part was what we didn‘t book in the first place. The guide was rather a friend you have known for a couple of years and easy to talk to, not a usual guide throwing you off at some nice place and ride you to the next place a couple of mins later when the photos were taken. We were the only 2 person on the tour, so no busses full of tourists doing exactly the same as you - you get the feeling of what a good private tour should look like. I guess this is what reveler tour stands for - quality over quantity. This is what he told us and we definitely experienced. Other than that it wasn‘t only a tour where we checked all the necessary parts described on the itinerary. We did those parts of course, but in between we experienced some caffes, restaurants he personally likes and knows a good story about. He gave us a choice of where to have lunch depending on what we were up for - so rather individualist-friendly. We also, for example, visited a local hippie-couple, had a little snack there and got to know their true way of life. Just very authentic in general. Because the guides are truly locals and fascinated about Cape Town itself, we therefore learnt so much about living and being in Cape Town, politics behind it, and so on. If we would have had more time, would‘ve booked more tours with this company, especially because you can choose yourself what you want to see and reveler tour advised and guides with additional information, rather than offers prefixed tours. I know this review might sound a bit too much bit it was truly what we thought is the perfect tour.

We were lucky enough to come across Reveler Tours and get on their calendar for the Cape of Good Hope and penguins tour, and it was one of the highlights of our time in South Africa. I wish that we'd found them earlier in our trip! Blaine picked us up nice and early the day of our tour, and we set off to Boulders Beach, missing all the tourist traffic and crowds. We practically had the beach to ourselves! Up next was the Cape of Good Hope and exploring the national park, followed by delicious tea and scones at a truly unique venue that we certainly would not have discovered on our own. For lunch, although a vineyard was on the agenda we let Blaine know that we were dying to try hake and chips and he took us to an amazing local spot after our drive through Chapman's Peak. What made the day truly special, aside from the amazing sights and destinations, was Blaine's companionship on the tour - we learned so much about South Africa and Cape Town, and it felt more like spending the day with a friend than with a traditional tour guide. Blaine even put together a playlist featuring all South African artists that we enjoyed during the tour and have been listening to since we got home! Reveler Tours is building something amazing and is also an incredibly mission-driven organization, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an engaging and ethical tour company. I hope that we get the chance to explore with them again next time we're in South Africa!

Blaine was more than a guide: a true companion with a contagious passion for his country. We certainly recommend Reveler Tours to anyone visiting Cape Town!